THEPARENTLINK September 2012 FOR PARENTS OF TEENS BOOST KIDS’ LEADERSHIP SKILLS THE VIEW
As a new school year begins, teenagers will have many opportunities to Kids begin to form ideas about explore and develop their talents. One often-overlooked talent is leadership. Yet your youth minister can tell you how desperately this trait is needed—and what they can and can’t achieve not just in church settings. In fact, in a Group magazine survey about youth by age 7 or 8. Yet only 42% of ministers’ “dying needs,” the top response was “developing leaders.” kids ages 10 to 18 say they’re energetically pursuing their Leadership means more than just good citizenship, discipleship, or community goals. And only 35% strongly service. It’s the process of helping people accomplish together what they believe they can navigate couldn’t do as individuals. Contrary to popular belief, leaders aren’t born. around obstacles to reach their They can come in a variety of forms, from charismatic pied-pipers to goals. troublemakers to reserved kids on the verge of blossoming. Indicators for high (Gallup Poll) leadership aptitude include boldness, curiosity, a wealth of opinions and ideas, the fact that peers listen to those ideas, and dissatisfaction with the status quo. When asked why they chose
particular role models, 26% of After identifying young leaders, it’s important to group them together, give them opportunities to truly lead, provide them with feedback and mentoring, teenagers said personality traits and disciple them so they’re spiritually grounded. Partnering with your were most important. Another church’s youth minister is a great way to provide teenagers with meaningful 22% of kids said the decision leadership and growth opportunities. As one youth leader says, “It’s one thing was based on whom to emulate to quote scripture to kids; it’s quite another thing to actually entrust them with or in whose footsteps they’d greater responsibilities—that’s what truly enables them to reach their full like to follow. potential.” (Barna Group) Trinity’s High School Leadership Team >>> PONDER THIS
Why should your high schooler be This group will have a LOT of What leadership potential do you on the leadership team?: influence on what, when, how, and see in your teenagers, and how where we do things. This will be a have you been trying to nurture This is Christian Leadership. very hands on team! it? Students aren’t the future of the church; they’re the church of Spiritual Growth. Taking a In what ways do you view today. We must challenge leadership role in spiritual matters yourself as a leader or as a teenagers to serve others and fosters growth. As they claim their leadership role model? discover the significant life God faith they will grow in their faith. I has called them to live. firmly believe that those who With whom can you partner to commit to this team will grow in further develop your teenagers as Skills will be developed. They many ways. This growth will help leaders? will learn skills such as vision prepare them for life way beyond casting, follow through, high school! equipping others, and asserting their influence. Please encourage your child to participate. We believe that Opportunities for REAL everyone has leadership potential! leadership. The leadership team will not simply help plan WHAT First Meeting of the School Year we do. They will DO what they is: Wednesday October 3rd from planned. THEY will lead youth 7:00-9:00 pm at the church. group, events, small groups, etc.
Confidence Connection Expert Insights for Parents of Teenagers
By Doug Franklin
LeaderTreks founder Doug God has their back. He’s their figure in their lives who’s cheering them Franklin says teenagers’ leadership safety net, and, in the end, every on to greatness. Adults need to tell kids skills will grow in direct Christ-follower wins. Kids must how they see God working in their lives. proportion to their confidence. realize they’re made for a purpose Adults also need to take risks and offer Three key ways to grow kids’ and God gives them all the needed teenagers leadership opportunities. confidence include: tools to complete that purpose. Teenagers need adults to connect the dots for them concerning how God has 1. Understanding God’s design. 2. Positive life experience. Kids made them and how that giftedness can Most kids don’t think they’re need an experience beyond what be used in real life. When kids are special. They don’t think they have they thought was possible. They allowed to lead an event and the success some great God-given ability to must be placed in situations that or failure of that event is in their hands, change the world around them. require them to reach beyond with positive adult support, they’ll They rarely see their potential. themselves, such as mission trips. develop confidence regardless of the They need to understand that God The experience is reinforced when outcome. made them for a purpose and they receive recognition from would never short-gift one of his peers and point out one another’s Confidence doesn’t happen by accident, children. God isn’t in the business giftedness. so create a solid plan for your teenagers of giving life to his kids and then to develop into confident leaders. cutting them off. For students to be 3. A positive adult who is willing confident, they must know that to risk. Kids need a positive adult —SimplyYouthMinistry.com
RESOURCE
Help! I’m a Student Leader, a practical BIBLE FOCUS guidebook from Doug Fields (Simply Youth Ministry), offers young people Don’t let anyone think less of you because you guidance about being creative, are young. Be an example to all believers in encouraging leaders—and leading as what you say, in the way you live, in your love, Jesus did. your faith, and your purity. 1 Timothy 4:12
MEDIA SPOTLIGHT
MAINSTREAM MUSIC CHRISTIAN MUSIC MOVIES
Movie: Looper Genre: Action, Thriller Rating: Not yet rated Synopsis: In the future, when the mob wants to get rid of someone, they send the target 30 years into the past, where a “looper”—a hired gun—is waiting to mop up. Joe is a Looper, and one day LECRAE T.I. the mob decides to “close the loop,”
Background: Hip-hop artist Lecrae, sending back Joe’s future self (Bruce Background: Once called “the Jay-Z of Willis) for assassination. the South,” T.I. is a hip-hop artist, 32, was raised by his Christian producer, and actor. He also started Grand grandmother. He ran with gangs and Our Take: This sounds like a Hustle Records. T.I., 31, has had some run- did drugs, using a Bible as a “good- Christopher Nolan movie (but isn’t). It ins with the police, including probation luck charm.” After going to Bible promises to be incredibly clever. I violations and weapons charges. He’s studies in his late teens, Lecrae hope they keep it to PG-13. worked with almost every name in hip- realized the characters were just like
hop, been nominated for Grammy Awards, him—but had hope and love. Five and won numerous Billboard Music years after becoming a Christian, he Movie: House at the End of the Street Awards—including Rap Artist and Rap started his own label and has won two Genre: Horror, Thriller Album of the Year. He works with the Dove Awards. Lecrae is incredibly Boys and Girls Clubs and once gave 200 popular and a positive role model. Rating: PG-13 bicycles to kids in Atlanta. Synopsis: A woman and her teenage Albums: Gravity (2012), Rehab daughter move next door to a house Albums: Trouble Man (2012), No Mercy (2010), Real Talk (2004) where terrible things happened years (2010), King (2006) ago. When the girl begins a What Lecrae Says: In response to relationship with the only survivor of What T.I. Says: He once talked a man people accusing him of selling out the that night, things start to go badly. down from a ledge, where he was gospel, Lecrae writes: “[Christians] threatening to kill himself. Afterward, T.I. limit spirituality to salvation and Our Take: This fall’s horror-movie said, “I’m not taking any credit. … The sanctification. … Most Christians offering features Hunger Games star fact of the matter is that God put me in a have no clue how to engage culture in Jennifer Lawrence. So it’s a good bet position to help, and I can’t take any credit politics, science, economics, TV, that teenagers will be interested. for that.” music, or art. We tend to leave people to their own devices there.” For more media discussions and ideas, Explore: T.I.’s albums are available to go to www.MinistryandMedia.com. listen to on Spotify—including both Clean Explore: All of Lecrae’s albums are and Explicit versions of many of them. available to listen to on Spotify.
VIDEO GAMES
Ratchet & Clank—This game collects three classic Ratchet & Clank games—fully remastered—in one place. They’re fun, clever, and mostly teen-friendly platformers. Some titles are full of innuendo: Up Your Arsenal, Going Commando, etc. (Rated E10; PS3)
Borderlands 2—This first-person shooter has a unique cel-shaded art style, plus technology that can create thousands of different gun combinations when you kill bad guys and loot their stuff. It also has foul language and lots of gore. Don’t let your kids talk you into this one. (Rated M; Xbox 360, PS3)
SEPTEMBER 2012 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thurs Fri Sat 1
2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Labor Day
9 10 11 12 13 14 15
Youth Council 7:00 pm
(Normally on Tuesday but on Wednesday this month)
16 17 18 19 20 21 22
Lost and Found Concert @ 7:00 pm
23/30 24 25 26 27 28 29
23rd: Youth Kickoff
7:00 -8:33 pm